President’s pledge to provide a "First Home" to every citizen upon turning 18 undergoes a change

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s pledge to provide a "First Home" to all residents and registered citizens of Male' aged 18 and above has undergone a significant change.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the government aims to provide a comprehensive solution to the housing crisis facing the residents and registered inhabitants of Male'. Speaking in an interview with Public Service Media, the President stated that the process of allocating land plots or flats within the Greater Male' Region will commence in 2025, ensuring a "First Home" for eligible residents and registered inhabitants of the capital aged 18 and above.

The President stated that ensuring a "First Home" for Male' residents aged 18 and above remains a key presidential pledge. To fulfill this commitment, the process of securing land plots or flats within the Male' area for eligible individuals will commence in 2025.

When questioned regarding the President’s pledge, Minister of Housing Dr. Abdulla Muththalib, clarified that the President’s objective is to ensure that no individual over the age of 18 remains in need of housing by the end of his five-year term. However, the Minister noted that this does not entail granting an individual flat or plot of land to every person over 18. Instead, the policy focuses on ensuring that every family, or immediate family unit including those over the age of 18, has access to adequate housing.

I am outlining the path for us to achieve this goal, which means ensuring that every individual over the age of 18—or rather, their immediate family—has access to housing. This does not imply that every person over 18 must receive an individual flat or plot of land; for instance, my wife and I do not require two separate properties. As a single family, one housing unit is sufficient. Therefore, as we work toward this vision, the point I am making is that our greatest current challenge is the lack of available land required to construct the necessary number of flats. To address this shortage, we are even working to reclaim the deepest sections of Gulhifalhu. If that reclamation is successful, it will provide us with additional usable space. Nevertheless, the scarcity of land remains a significant obstacle to our efforts to construct housing in the manner I have described.

Minister of Housing, Dr. Abdulla Muththalib

The President has emphasized that providing housing for every citizen aged 18 and above is a key pledge of his administration, aimed at ensuring that no citizen is left without a home. He stated that housing will be facilitated for those who do not yet own a "first home," whether in Male' or any other island. The President assured that these individuals will be guaranteed their own house or apartment. Furthermore, he committed to officially confirming this guarantee by issuing formal documentation to eligible recipients before the end of 2025.

However, under its housing policy, the current administration has yet to hand over documentation for a single flat or land plot.